GPENGIAC Penetration Tester Certification (GPEN) practice exams
Original questions written from the published objectives and cited to official documentation, never recalled exam content. How we verify, why not dumps.
- Exam code
- GPEN
- Cost
- $999USD
- Questions
- 82questions
- Duration
- 180minutes
- Passing score
- 73percent
- Level
- Mid level
- Valid for
- 4years
- Study guide
- How to prepare
- Sources
- 85official pages
- Format
- 1proctored exam. GIAC states that all GIAC certification exams are web based and required to be proctored, with remote proctoring through ProctorU and onsite proctoring through PearsonVUE. GIAC lists GPEN under its CyberLive hands-on testing format.
GPEN practice exams
2 full-length forms, 82 questions each, apportioned to the published domain weightings.
A client challenges the post-exploitation section of a report as padding. Which activity does that section properly cover?
The answer
Actions the operator takes after a session is opened
Checked against
docs.rapid7.com, checked August 2026Post-exploitation refers to any actions taken after a session is opened.
What the exam tests
Exam domains
GIAC publishes the GPEN Exam Certification Objectives and Outcome Statements as a list of sixteen objectives with no percentages attached. The six groupings above and the percentages assigned to them are ours. We built them by grouping GIAC's published objective titles into related clusters and spreading 100 points across those clusters. They are a study aid for planning review time, not an official GIAC weighting, and GIAC does not endorse them.
The percentage is the exam weighting; the bar is how many verified questions we hold there, so a short bar is where our bank is thin.
- Penetration Test Planning10%17 verified
- Reconnaissance, Scanning, and Vulnerability Discovery18%31 verified
- Exploitation and Privilege Escalation20%33 verified
- Password Attacks and Hashes22%37 verified
- Domain Escalation, Kerberos, and Persistence18%31 verified
- Azure Attacks and AD Integration12%21 verified
Where to focus: GIAC lists sixteen objectives with no weighting, but four of them concern passwords, formats, and hashes and four more concern Active Directory, Kerberos, and Azure or Entra ID, so split review time along that spread instead of assuming even coverage. GIAC also states the CyberLive portion is currently delivered at the end of the exam, so practice working inside a lab environment and switching back to the question interface while a clock is running.
What the exam actually asks you to do
A CyberLive exam. Some of the questions put you into a live machine with the real tools and score what you do there. GIAC does not publish how many of the 82 are hands-on, so neither do we.
Item formats
- Multiple choice
- Hands-on lab
The highlighted formats are the ones you cannot answer from memory alone. GIAC, GPEN certification details ↗
Between sittings
The same bank the numbered forms are assembled from.
Quick Practice
Open now
All 170 verified questions, untimed, with the explanation after each answer.
Domain Drill
Open now
Every domain on its own, for the area a score report says is weakest.
Review Missed
Fills as you go
Re-asks the questions you got wrong. Nothing to review until you miss something.
GIAC’s free resources
Study from the source. The page below is free to read, and it is what our own questions are written from.
Official GPEN exam page & objectives ↗Keep reading
- Free GPEN practice test
10 original questions, playable now. No account, no card.
- GPEN exam format
How many questions, how long, what the items look like, and how long it stays valid.
- GPEN passing score
The exact cut score, what kind of number it is, and the retake terms.
- How hard is GPEN?
An honest difficulty read from the format, the clock and the weights.
- What GPEN costs
The voucher price, the retake, and what renewal costs across the cycle.
- GPEN guide
Who it is for, study plans by experience level, and whether it is worth it.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the GPEN exam cost?
GIAC's pricing page lists the GPEN certification attempt at $999. The same row lists an exam retake at $899, an attempt extension at $479, a certification renewal at $499, and a practice exam at $399. GIAC also notes a $175 reseating fee for missed proctored exam appointments.
Is the GPEN exam hands-on?
GIAC lists GPEN under CyberLive, which it describes as a hands-on exam format that replaces traditional multiple-choice testing with performance-based challenges in realistic lab environments. GIAC does not publish how many of the 82 questions are CyberLive items, and its CyberLive FAQ says the share of the final score varies by examination. GIAC does say the CyberLive portion is currently delivered at the end of the exam and that exam timing accounts for the time it takes.
Does GPEN have prerequisites?
GIAC does not publish a prerequisite on the GPEN certification page. Under How To Prepare it lists training available in a variety of modalities including live training and OnDemand, practical work experience, and college level courses or self-paced study through other programs or materials.
How long does GPEN stay valid, and how is it renewed?
GIAC states that its certifications require renewal every four years, and answers its own question 'How many years is my certification active for?' with 'Four Years'. Renewal is either 36 CPE credits collected over four years or retaking the exam, plus a non-refundable $499 maintenance fee due once every four years at the time of registration.